This article originally appeared in the “School Days” column of the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal on Monday, April 7, 2014. We thank the author for graciously allowing us to re-post it here.

Sitting in the Thunder Bay Airport on March 6, 22 St. Patrick’s High School students and 19 St. Ignatius students anxiously awaited their boarding call. Their destination: Europe – to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, the 75th anniversary of the Second World War, and the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The students were joined by Mr. Cappello, Mr. Battistel, and Ms. Borgo of St. Pat’s along with Mr. McWhirter, Ms. Papich, and Ms. Vidotto of St. Ignatius.

During their ten day journey, the students travelled through the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. All of the sites were selected to be part of the tour for their historical significance. Highlights of the trip included visits…